Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-29
THE COERCION BILL
PARNRLL CONSIDERS THE BILL DRSTRUc-
TIVE OF PERSONAL LIBERTY
In lreland-0f Free Speech, Public Meetings aad
the Free PreSs-Ths Government Has
MajOrity-hinistsr FOurens Sen
sahonal UttsranceS

LONDON, March 2s.-Parnell considers
the Irish Criminal Law Amendment bill
one of the strongest coercion measures
ever proposed to Parliament The bill
even creates new offenses He thinks that
Balfour's reference to the press meant that
the government will suppress prominent
Nationalist newspapers as soon "a the bill
has been passed.
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
this evening w. H. Smith, Government
leader, intimated the Government had de-
cided TO ask the House to pass TO q second
reading the Irish Criminal Law Amendment
Bill before proposing the Easter holidays.
The Government, said Smith, disayowed
any intention TO menace the House, but
they wished the members TO understand
how vital the measure was to peace in
Ireland, that it was one upon
which the Government staked its existence.
1t was more important than holidays.
Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland. moved
the first reading Of the bill. In doing so
he referred to the terms of Parnell's pro-
posed amendment to the bill, in which the
Irish leader claims the House should OBJ
tain further information about the condi-
tion of Ireland. Baltour thought the
Parnellites sufficiently informed Of the
state Of their country and should recog-
nize Irish anarchy as the artifcer
recognizes his own work. The Govern
ment did not rest the case on statistics Of
agrarian crime. They took the view that
the amount Of crime must be considered in
conjunction with its causes and character,
the amount shown, in fact, in the present
movement were 476 persons in Munster,
l75 in Conneaut and 25l in Lunster under
police protection. The law had been set
aside and the vacuum had not been filed
by ordinary law.
CONFERENCE OF LIBERAL UNIONIsTs
will be held at the Devonshire House on
Thursday to consider the Coercion bill.
An exchange of views in the lobbies on the
bill, disclosed the fact that several of the
UniOnists diSapprove the measure, but the
mass of the party consider its provisions
not too stringent. Lord Harrington and
Mr.. Chamberlain will give thorough sup
port to the whole of the proposals. The
threatened detection of UniOnists will
probably not exceed ten votes, leaving the
Government still with a majority.
THE PARNELLITEs
held an informal meeting and united in de-
nOuncing what they termed the atrocious
character of the coercion bill. The measure
they said concealed under its provisions
powers for the extinction Of the liberties of
the press, public meetings, free speech and
all individual rights. The Parnellites
disregard the threats 0t Mr.. Smith
To continue the debate until the second
reading of the bill. They say that if
the protection of the sitting results in
test of physical endurance they will be
ready for the struggle 1t is the opinion
OF many persons that Mr.. Balfours' speech,
which was of great length, was weak, diff
fused, confused and pointless, and that on
the first chance he has had to show if he
was capable of rising to great occasion,
he has made notable failure. Mr.. Parnell
has postponed the introduction of his
amendment until he consults with his col
leagues.